West Somerset Railway General Discussion

Yes - The NYMR and Ffestiniog/ Welsh Highland are in remote areas - but those areas are very popular with tourists. The railways I mentioned are just some of many examples, so please don't think I meant that only the ones I mentioned had a future.

 

I see a lockdown is eased JJP is on Points West talking about redundancies

 

Any heritage railway that has appealed for donations to “save the railway”, that then spends the donated money on redundancy payments, could risk alienating donors for the future.

 

No further details I am afraid

 

With the WSR not reopening until 2021 makes you wonder if it will ever reopen as social distancing looks to be here for another year at least

 

Could? It already has. Yet more shots through all feet. This railway really is bringing the preservation movement into ill repute. Anyone associated with this mess is very rapidly going to see any reputation that they might enjoy severely reduced if not flushed away.

 

None of whom, apart from the charities who have another stake in the railway, have been even been officially informed as to what is currently going on, let alone had their opinions asked about anything.

 

treat them like mushrooms , keep them in the dark and feed them with * *** you get the idea anyway, the only way any of this can be saved is if the Two charities, put aside their mistrust of each other, and collectively grow a pair, call an EGM, or somehow co opt further directors to the board using their majority shareholding if they can, then they will have to suspend the chair, pending an investigation into his handling of the role, Appoint another chair, ,pressure the yes men into resigning, or accepting a new direction, and save the line, they know what needs to be done, the chair needs to stand down, or be sacked, either that, or everyone walks away, cuts all funding, abandons the railway to its fate.

 

Couldn`t agree more. I live in Minehead and work in Bath periodically. Driving to work doesn`t really...work. Were it not for the fastish train service from Taunton, the journey would make it an impossible contract to maintain.

 

I may not agree with everything @rodders154 says, but in this he is right, because he knows what the WSR is like: it won't happen, there's too much history, too many people will feel that they have lost and someone else has won. There needs to be a new organisation, like the story of the Irish rail gauge. For those who don't know it it happened like this: in the early days of railways, Ireland had three, all of different gauges, one broad gauge, one standard gauge and one narrow gauge. It was realised that it would be best if Ireland's railways were all the same gauge, but the only thing the three railway companies could agree on was that none of them were going to regauge their railway to one of the other company's gauges. So a new gauge had to be chosen that was different to all three.

 

Well, we all have learned that things are done differently in Somerset.

 

So, let us have a look at this. The railway needs paid staff in order to run but there are not the funds to retain the numbers required. Why do you need so many paid staff? What is the true volunteer situation?

To continue the WSR needs funding but the actions of a number of people from the top of the PLC and downwards have created a situation where people are not prepared to donate to further fund the continuation of this self indulgent mess. There is no trust. Few believe that their donations will be put to constructive and ethical use. So are the support groups going to stand up, be counted and try to prevent this destruction of something that they have very heavily invested in, financially or in much freely given time and expertise? It is getting very late now. Very concerned people have tried to guide you and point you in a better direction but the guts hating continues unabated. Do you believe that at the last minute some to date unheard of benefactor is going to appear in order for this squabble fest to continue ad nauseam? You are not operating in a safe position, remember Crosville?

 

The problem is that a completely new organisation/charity would have nothing;
no shareholding
no members that can support it
no money


Look at how the plc has/is treating the S&DRT, who are not only a tenant, but also a shareholder!
(interestingly the S&DRT state they now have 104 members, I believe the WSSRT have about 70, in 2018 it was 82)


Look at the attitude of the plc/JJP to even the suggestion of one charity, when it is nothing to do with the plc

WEST SOMERSET STEAM RAILWAY TRUST LTD
Minutes of the meeting of Board of Trustees held on Wednesday 24th April 2019
In relation to wider issues on the WSR, JJP said that he fully supported the education and volunteering work. The PLC was not however supportive of the emerging suggestions from the Association that a single new charity should be formed from the Steam Trust and the current WSRA. He shared the view of the Steam Trust that this would not contribute to meeting any of the key strategic objectives at this time. The Tripartite Board meeting on 4/5/19 would be an opportunity to achieve strategic alignment on these objectives.
http://www.wssrt.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/minutes-of-24-april-2019-meeting.pdf

 

If you want to watch this , the BBC demands that you register with them and give your details. I'm not doing that!

 

Hello Richard,

I am following your posts with great interest, as I am sure many others are. They are illuminating, prescient, informed and highly relevant.

The SDRT has far more than 104 members; it has 104 more members since the Notice to Quit was served over Washford by the WSR PLC board in February, and the number of new members is rising. (I haven't checked the membership figures this evening).

You probably meant to say 104 new members for the SDRT, so apologies to pick you up on this error.

Cheers,

Julian

 

With regards to Andy's reference to the ORR document the following may be revealing:-

"24. According to the idea of transformational leadership [footnote 6] ; an effective leader is a person who does the following: • Creates an inspiring vision of the future. • Motivates and inspires people to engage with that vision. • Manages delivery of the vision. • Coaches and builds a team, so that it is more effective at achieving the vision.

25. Effective leadership brings together the skills needed to do these things, thus supporting a positive health and safety culture. However, poor leadership will not, and may result in staff suffering from stress and anxiety.

26. The Risk Management Maturity Model (RM3) sub-criterion SP-1: Leadership gives examples of positive health and safety leadership characteristics.

Footnote 6 - Transformational leadership is a style of leadership where a leader works with subordinates to identify needed change, creating a vision to guide the change through inspiration, and executing the change in tandem with committed members of a group."

One must be wary of taking this out of context of the ORR document with it's emphasis on health and safety matters.

 

Pictures of yesterday's HOBC visit now online. Here's an example:


Freightliner Class 66 no 66414 setting back after discharge on 23 June 2020. In order to run round the train the formation is set back onto the West Chord under the watchful eye of Freightliner Shunter Keith Cowan before the loco is detached and then driven via the East and South Chords, and then attached to the other end. The complete formation was then propelled back onto the single line at Allerford Junction under the control of the Freightliner Shunter before returning to Fairwater Yard. Picture taken with permission.
© Paul Fleet
This work is licenced under a Creative Commons Licence. Any re-use of the above image must conform to the requirements of the Creative Commons Licence.

Visit wsr.org.uk for all the topical pictures

There will be quite a few more of these visits over the next few weeks. Good news for the WSR.

Steve

 

"The problem is that a completely new organisation/charity would have nothing;
1) no shareholding
2) no members that can support it
3) no money"

1) Why is that a problem?
2) What do you suppose will happen to the members and shareholders of the existing organisations? Do you think they will all walk away in disgust? Why would they not want to join/buy shares in the new organisation(s)?
3) The current charities and the Plc have very little money as it is. It is not beyond the wit of man to see a way of transferring that little, along with the assets, to a new organisation.

As to the rest of the post, I said "new organisation", because the Plc in its existing form needs to go, as well.